Carlisle Bison football players Chris Hart and Clayton Fields were members of the East squad during the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game at Estes Stadium in Conway on Friday.

The West beat the East 16-13 in the first all-star game played in Conway since 2001.

Fields started at left guard on offense and played the first quarter and most of the second half. Hart played cornerback in the second quarter but did not get to play in the second half.

Fields helped the East to gain 375 yards in total offense, including 145 yards rushing and 230 yards passing.

Fields will play college football for Harding University in Searcy this fall.

Fields said playing in the all-star game was “amazing.”

“I got to play against the best athletes in the state,” he said. “It makes you better and you make a lot of new friends. It was really fun. I enjoyed it a lot.”

Fields said he was blessed for getting to play so much in the game.

“Not a lot of people get to do that,” he said. “You can see the final score but it’s an all-star game. We all played for fun but, then again, we had a competition going. It was a good opportunity. I was a little disappointed that we lost but it will all right.”

Fields will report to Harding in early August.

“I’m still hitting the weights hard and still running,” he said. “This [all-star game] was a college game. All of these guys are playing college ball. That was a big part of me getting ready for college. I’m just going to try to stay in shape for Aug. 10.”

Fields said the Harding coaches have told him that he will play offensive guard for the Bisons.

“They want me to maintain my weight … I’ve got to eat a lot of food,” Fields said. “I sweat a lot. I’ve got to maintain my weight, just come in as strong as I can and get ready to play.”

For Hart, the all-star game was his last football game as he will play baseball at Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock next season. The Buffaloes are a junior college program.

Hart said playing in the all-star game was a “blast.”

“Getting out here with all the 7A players and all the upper classmen was really cool because you got to see how much talent there really is in the state,” he said. “It was fun to put the pads on and strap up one more time.”

Hart is a three-time all-state performer in baseball for the Bison.

“I never even went to try to play football,” Hart said of his collegiate plans. “I knew baseball was my way to get to college and hopefully, farther than that.”

Hart said two players from Lonoke, Essick Shephard and Guy Halbert, will be playing at Arkansas Baptist.

“It will be fun,” Hart said. “The coaches have already told me that they are moving the whole infield around and I’ll be the shortstop.”

Former Carlisle Bison coach Scott Waymire, who coached Fields and Hart for six years, was proud of his two players for making the all-star game.

“I just think it’s a great opportunity to have two guys from your team come out here and play,” said Waymire, who was hired as the new coach at Class 4A Trumann during the spring. “There are so many players in the state who do not get this opportunity because there are only two per conference. For us to have two guys represent us, I’m proud of them. I’m proud of what they did. And they got out there with that ‘C’ on their helmet and they got in front of some of the best athletes in the state and do what we asked them to do — compete, work hard and do right. That’s what they did.”

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